Great advice in your post. I had to chuckle at this paragraph, because I just salvaged a very nice rear wheel with a 10-speed, and found out an 8 speed cassette fits it perfectly, no spacers, uses the same chain as my 7 speed. I'm thinking of using it with a friction shifter, since I don't have an indexed 8. I could get a 4.5 mm spacer and put my 7 speed cassette on, but I agree, that would be a little too "stressful."

It is a very light wheel so I won't use it touring (30 spokes; 10 radial NDS, 20 3-cross DS), but it sure feels nice as a sportier wheel around town. And it was free!